The present invention relates to an overhead support system for TV monitors, and more particularly relates to such a support system which is particularly well-suited to support TV monitors for viewing by passengers in motor homes and buses, trains, boats, school buses and other forms of public transit. Such a system is described and illustrated in my co-pending Application Ser. No. 07/545604 filed June 29, 1990 entitled "Passenger Entertainment System for Coaches".
Of general background as describing and illustrating suspension systems for TV monitors are U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,478 issued June 6, 1989 of Sweere (requiring a pair of tracks on which a support frame for the TV monitor can ride), U.S. Pat. No. 4,338,626 of Weinblatt issued May 17, 1983 relating to a frame designed to sit over the backrest of the front seat of a car so that the rear seat passenger can see a television; Gombroff U.S. Design Pat. No. 245,051 issued July 19, 1978 and Boscacci U.S. Pat. No. 270,689 issued Sept. 27, 1983, illustrating traytype supports for TV monitors. As well, U.S. Pat. No. 4,756,528 of Omashankar issued July 12, 1988 describes and illustrates a TV monitor which is supported in the back of a typical coach passenger seat.
None of these constructions are particularly suitable for mounting TV monitors in vehicles such as buses where only a few monitors may be required to provide viewing for all of the passengers in the bus, and where such TV monitors, to be visible, must be suspended from a relatively high position within the bus. As well, because of the bumpy movement of the vehicle, it is important that the TV monitor be firmly secured in position so that it does not become loose and vibrate relative to the bus thereby interfering with the operation and viewing of the monitor. Many of the conventional systems for supporting monitors in buses and the like require major modifications to the bus whereby the monitor is virtually permanently secured to the bus frame to prevent its vibration.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an easily installed but secure system for overhead support of TV monitors in buses and the like. It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a system which is effective in minimizing vibration during movement of the vehicle which might otherwise interfere with the operation and viewing of the TV monitor.